when we enacted, under ronald reagan, he said this will take a certain number of low-income people off the tax roll. they still pay fica taxes, which are less progressive. i think they cannot pay. they do not have the ability to pay. they should not be asked to. host: a caller from kentucky talked about the minimum wage. what are your thoughts on that proposal? guest: i think the president's proposal is a little modest. i would make it somewhat higher. it is much lower than the cost of living and the cost of productivity than it was 30 years ago. it is disgraceful that people can work 40 hours a week and still be in poverty and that the taxpayers have to supplement that with food stamps and sometimes with various kinds of welfare assistance. it is not true by all that we have seen that increasing the middle -- minimum wage kills jobs. studies have been done by observers. they find no such correlation. i do not doubt that there are some employers like his boss at the restaurant who scare people by saying if i have to pay you nine dollars an hour, although restaurants have a lower minimu